Thursday, August 29, 2013

The other day, I had the opportunity to shoot with this gorgeous girl, Alexandra. It was so much fun doing a photoshoot together, and I love how Alexandra expressed herself through subtle expressions and movements. The late afternoon light brought a soft, golden glow over everything.

Alexandra, it was truly a joy doing this shoot together. Thank you so much! :)

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

There happened to be a small matsuri (festival) going on nearby, so after work I was able to quickly drop by. All summer, I've been longing to go to a matsuri, but I've been so busy and wrapped up with things somehow that I haven't had the chance, despite hearing of so many all around! This one was just about finishing as I got there, but I was so excited all the same.

Goldfish catching! One of the traditional activities at a Japanese matsuri, and one that I get really excited about for some reason! I wanted to try.. but what if I actually caught some goldfish?? Would I be able to actually for them? Would my cat eat them?? Thinking those kind of things, I decided not to try this time.

かわいいたこさん！

Cute octopi!

They had this nice covered space set up for eating the yummy treats visitors bought! Even equipped with these fans. So thoughtful!

I'm so happy I had the chance to drop by this little festival, and I hope it's not the last one for me this summer. This kind of atmosphere is really one of my favorite things about Japan, and I want to experience many more festivals, events, and traditions around Japan sometime. At this festival, I tasted the amazing takoyaki, bubbling ramune and a sugar butter crepe :) Next time, I'm aiming for some jaga butter (buttered potato) and ikayaki (grilled squid)!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

I enjoyed this unique photoshoot with rapper and blogger Sulaiman, who came over to visit Japan from Kuwait! He contacted me before his trip, asking if I would be available to take some photos for him. It's really interesting and exciting for me to be able to meet people like him, coming to Tokyo from different places around the world. It was a lot of fun to try and capture his perspective of the Shibuya area, as well as putting my own spin on the shots. Sulaiman, thank you so much for shooting with me, and I hope you've had a wonderful stay in Japan!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of shooting a few photos for the newly opened Joli Nails Salon & Spa, located near Shirokane Takanawa station in Tokyo. It was an honor to meet the lovely owner, Janica, and the other members of the salon. What's unique about this nail salon is that they welcome children of all ages, and they even an excellent childcare area to take care of the kids while mom is getting pampered with a massage or nail treatment. I think it's such a wonderful idea, perfect for busy mothers! (Many of whom are likely rushing around Tokyo) Here's an example of kids nails:

So cute!

Inside the salon, such a peaceful environment.

The day I dropped by to shoot the photos, it was incidentally a festival day at that shopping district! The place was so filled with lively noise and smells of delicious food wafting through the air. Joli Nails had this adorable rubber ducky and fish catching pool set up. Made me want to catch some too!

Such a welcoming atmosphere for children, and a joy to watch them!

Be sure to check out this warm and friendly salon if you're in the area! Janica, thank you so much and I'm looking forward to seeing you again!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Sorry for the lack of updates lately! It's been a crazy few weeks, with lots of things happening both in work and life... I barely had a spare moment to sit down in front of my computer again.

Today, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite pieces from a photoshoot with Mathieu. Tokyo at night is just an amazing time to shoot, and it was so much fun to stroll around a bit within the slightly festive atmosphere, with the lanterns adorning the streets. Mathieu, thank you very much for the shoot!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

On the other end of this path called Life, what kind of place is waiting?

Does it depend on the choices we've made, the actions we've taken or haven't taken? Our intentions, successes, and failures?

I don't know if there exists a Heaven, or if souls are reassessed and recycled into new life forms, or if all the efforts and built up consciousness simply disappear into nothingness. It is a scary thing to think to about. As a child, it felt as though time could stretch on forever and ever. But now time keeps rushing faster and faster forward. It's probably the unrelenting flow of time that makes moments take on meaning - sunsets, a few hours spend with a friend, words of encouragement, even love. They're all fleeting and we grasp at them, embrace them until they wisp through our arms and past our fingertips. And even after they've passed into only the realms of memory, we continue to reach for new moments.

If only we could learn to forgive and let go of anger more often. If only we could learn to live more in the present instead of the past, and give love when we can. The delicate balance of life is so easily broken, the end of the path so quickly reached.

I want to capture as much as I can through words and in photos, to record those fleeting moments that sometimes we can't even remember anymore. The soft light of a morning, laughter and words exchanged, the warm smells of a meal cooked and shared. Crisp crackling of leaves underfoot, wind stirring our hair. Everything can be a part of happiness, if we want it to.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Recently, both the model Reina and hair & makeup artist Chihiro san invited me to go do a photoshoot around the same time, so I thought it'd be fun to do a collaboration all together. The images above are the result, and I'm quite happy with how they turned out despite it being the hottest day in Tokyo for years!! I can't believe I keep subjecting my models and makeup artists to these kind of tortures.. first freezing cold winter weather and winds.. now blazingly hot summer heat and humidity. But what I can say, these ladies were total pros! From the cool expressions on Reina's face above, I'm sure you can't tell that it was actually around 37 degrees celsius (99 F!!) outside, can you believe it? As always, I loved working with Chihiro san and watching her work her magic. I especially like the hairstyle she created in the second set, so elegant and pretty.

Having so many interesting and talented people to collaborate with is one of the things I like most about being in Tokyo, and fashion photographers get to connect with so many different models, makeup artists, designers, people of all types and backgrounds... I'm still a very long way toward my goal, but it's exciting just being in progress still. I would love to do more collaborations with other bloggers and so on, exploring and enjoying the process of creativity and expression.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Went on a small trip with Momo in search of a sunflower field in Tokyo. We found the place, but sadly there were only about three sunflowers in bloom...

It was a hot day, the sun beaming down strongly on our heads. Along the river, we passed some birdwatchers lugging huge cameras and lenses. There was a rare bird down near the water, and they were trying to get some good shots of it.

We continued on to the little field, and an orange cat appeared nearby.

Although we didn't get to see the great expanse of sunflowers that we had expected, it was nice to explore somewhere new.

On the way back, we dropped by this quiet shrine.

Speaking of summer, there's a Back-to-School sale going on over at Romwe here ! The sale starts today and lasts until August 18th. I remember the days when I hoped summer would never end, then get excited as the first day back to school was approaching again.. :)